VacationRentalsIntl.com | Pros and Cons International Vacation Rentals, Vacation Cabin Rentals, Vacation Home Rentals

Renting a vacation home in hawaii can be a lot more cost effective than staying at a hotel in Hawaii, it can also put you closer to what you want to do on your vacation. Just be careful you are renting a legal vacation home.

In Oahu alone there are only 1,000 homeowners who are certified to rent rooms for less than 30 days. However, you can find more than 2,000 online ads for rentals all over the island. Most of the Bed & Breakfast’s in Hawaii are not run through all legal channels, be careful.

You want your honeymoon to be a very special time. So why should you choose a Honeymoon Vacation Rental instead of a Big Resort? Here are some of the reasons we hear:

Honeymoon Rentals are more unique, individual, and intimate. While its true that some ultra high priced resorts have unique accommodations, most offer a choice between three or four floor plans and decor, that are repeated 100 times. So you wind up with a box just like 20 other boxes or more at the same property, right down to the same placement of the TV and the same bedspread. To be sure, some of them are very nice boxes, but what if you want to Honeymoon outside the box?
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You have established yourself as a vacation rental owner, you have a steady growth of guests renting your property, and you are looking for a way to increase your profit while not having to spend a lot more money.  Some people may say it is impossible, but we say install a hot tub. A hot tub is something that has the ability to give your vacation rental property the extra push it might need.

When someone is looking at a property they are looking at a checklist in their mind. For example, I was recently looking into a Banff Vacation Rental home for a summer trip with a group of friends next year. I was looking for something that has enough room for my group, rented by the month, had a good view of the mountains - although it is hard not have a good view - and if was a pet friendly vacation rental (finding a pet friendly vacation rental can be tough too, but that is a whole different story). If I were looking at say my top two choices both were about the same size within the same price range, but one had a hot tub. I would choose the Vacation rental with a hot tub simply because it would be fun to have. A hot tub is an amenity that a lot of people would really enjoy having. I know I would.

So if you are a vacation rental owner, consider installing a hot tub on your property. It will pay for itself in the end.

As a vacation rental owner renting out your private rental home can be a tough business. No matter how amazing your vacation property is if you do not market it right you will not get any response. There are simple ways of going about advertising your Vacation Rental Property.

First off you should start locally. Do not try to spread all you resources all at once. If the best you can do is putting up flyers in local stores or on community bulletin boards that is fine. Just always make sure to make your flyers look professional. Check your spelling and grammar, take a nice picture of your vacation rental property, and try to create something that is not only informative, but also eye-catching.

Once you’ve got a handle on local advertising and you are interested in moving into bigger pastures, get ready for the internet.

Obviously if you are reading this you will know something about the internet, luckily now a day the web is becoming easier for everyone to navigate. Try your hand at signing up at some of the many vacation rentals by owner websites out there. Many of these websites will charge a minor fee to post your vacation rental online. That way when people are searching for say a Kauai Hawaii Vacation Rental, they will come across your Kauai Vacation Home in their searches. Anytime you are advertising online be descriptive as possible. Use nice, up-to-date photos, be sure to list all your rental amenities, and let people know if you allow smokers, or if you vacation rental is pet friendly. A lot of people search for specific amenities and extras in a vacation rental. If you can supply those extras, let them know.

You can take online marketing to even higher level by setting up a private website for your Vacation Rental. If you can make something informative and eye catching it can almost guarantee people will rent your vacation rental home.

Are you unsure if you can afford a big summer family vacation rental? You still want to take the kids with you, but there are some budget issues?

During peak seasons most Vacation Rental properties go up in price. Why? Supply and demand really. If you aren’t going to pay a higher price, someone else will. That is why I think that sometimes it is a good idea to look into renting a vacation home in the off season. It might not provide that perfect beach weather you were hoping for, but there is still plenty to do: Hiking and exploring, family games, shopping and reading that book you have been meaning to read for the last two years.

There is no limit to what you can do on your own vacation! This is the beauty of a vacation. So the next time you are searching for a vacation rental home, try looking at the off-season prices too. You may be pleasantly surprised.

I read a great article today about why the United States should mandate paid vacation for all today. Apparently almost a third of all employed American women are given no paid leave, and up to a quarter of working men get no pay from their employer if they take a week or more off for rest and recreation. According to various studies vacations are way a boost to the health of employees. An employee who has a vacation can come back refreshed, more creative, with a better work attitude, and possibly more productive, for a time.

Read the full story

Five quick tips to booking your perfect vacation rental.

1. Start Early, by the end of January a lot of great properties will already be snatched up. If you wait until the last minute you will never get the vacation rental you want.

2. Avoid Rental Agents. There are a lot of hidden fees when you deal with rental agents. Renting directly from the owners generally include a few pictures of the property, a description of the house and what’s in the local area.

3. Get all the details. If you are expecting you vacation rental to be a home away from home you will be excepting a lot of the little things. Be sure to check if there is a highchair, or if there is wheelchair access.

4. Protect your investment.  Paying by cheque or cash can be make it harder for you to get your money back if your vacation rental isn’t what you thought it would be. Paying by credit card means you may be protected by the fair credit bill act.
5. Consider your timing. The most popular vacation months — July and August — are going to cost more. You can save a ton of dough if you skip the high season. You could save at least 30% to 50% if you book your rental in late May and early June.

Owning your own vacation rental is not easy, you have be will to put countless hours into it’s upkeep, and maintenance, never mind promoting the vacation home in hopes that someone will want to rent it. Property management companies can do a great deal of that for you, but property management companies will take a large bite out of you profits - anywhere up to 50%, if not more.

If you aren’t sure you want become a vacation home owner, you are thinking about renting out a home, or you are looking for some advice, we found a great article in the Orlando Sentinel about what hard work and dedication to do for a vacation home owner.

Read the full Owning a Vacation Home article. 

Disappointment is probably the biggest risk when you are renting any sort of vacation home, apartment, condo, or cottage. Quite simply, it is not getting exactly what you have paid for. You often pay for your vacation rentals upfront and in full before you even have a chance to see the home. To add to that, many vacation rentals have no provision for refunds after you arrive. You have a great deal of money at stake when it comes to renting a vacation home.What you want to look out for when renting a vacation home is misrepresentation of property, and the old bait and switch.

Anyone who is renting out their properties wants to rent them as often as possible so they can make as much money as possible. One way a vacation rental owner can do that is by stretching the truth when listing and describing the property to make it sound and look better than it actually is. It is similar to padding your resume when you are going to your first job at 16. A 10-minute drive to the beach can become “easy access to the beach.” Shabby or run down magically becomes “charming.” The bus that comes three times a day becomes “great access to public transport.” “Sleeps six” might even mean four beds, a couch, and a cot.

On rare occasion you run into people who pull the bait and switch. These dishonest rental agencies and owners will get you out to your location only to “inform” you that the apartment or house you have rented is being repaired. They then offer you a run down, out of the way location that is not what you paid for. Nor is it anywhere close to where you wanted to be.

There is nothing anyone can do to guarantee that you will not be disappointed, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t something you can do. Don’t tolerate a bad rental. If you believe the property was misrepresented, take action as soon as you see the problem. Call the rental agency wherever it might be and ask for immediate correction or refund. In foreign countries, immediately explore your rights as a consumer in the local jurisdiction.

Do you have a Vacation Rental horror story that you would like to share with us, to help warn people of what to look for? Let us know, leave a comment.

Let’s face it, hotels are nice but sometimes you are just looking for more. Maybe you are looking for the perfect romantic honeymoon or are celebrating your wedding anniversary. A luxury vacation home may be exactly what you are looking for, whatever your reason for getting away may be.

You may think going all out at a resort is the answer - I would just simply disagree. While there is something to be said for a nice hotel room for a week, no words can describe what you are in store for when you find the perfect luxury vacation home. From a tropical villa hidden away in Hawaii, to a fabulous beachside Villa in the south of

France, a luxury vacation home can put the spice back into a relationship and be the perfect fire starter for newlyweds.

If you are in the market for a luxury vacation home we would suggestion checking out these sites:

• Dream Villa Rentals.com
• Tropical Villa Vacations
• Luxury Home Rentals
• Trinity Properties.com
• All Star Vacation Homes.com